


The General Danvers Guide to Family Reunions

by AXEe



Series: The General Danvers Guide to... [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clones, F/F, Family Reunions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-20 13:20:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9493244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: When one of you're relatives is an alien, family reunions never go according to plan.  Sequel to The General Danvers Guide to the Galaxy





	1. Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here we are, the first chapter to the long-awaited sequel to The General Danvers Guide to the Galaxy, hope everybody enjoys it, and let me know what you thought!
> 
> And now ONWARDS!

******

Alex watched as Alura blinked once, twice, and finally seemed to focus on her surroundings. She coughed as she took a breath that sounded almost painful as she looked to her side, spotting Alex and Astra

“ _Astra,_ ” she whispered, she reached out towards her, curling her fingers around Astra’s hand as Astra reached out to her at the same time “I dreamed of you” Alura continued

“I know,” Astra whispered as she tightened her grip on Alura’s hand “I know” Alura frowned and managed to weakly reach up and brush the tears away from Astra’s eyes

“What is this?” she wondered softly “hmm? You have nothing to cry for, my sister,” she let go of Astra’s hand and cupped her cheek “it is I should be crying,” she explained “I was the one who didn’t listen, who ignored you, who put you in that… _place_ ”

“I know,” Astra whispered, tears forming in her eyes again, even as she tightened her grip on Alex’s hand, needing her proximity to keep her from flying apart “and I don’t care, I don’t care about any of that, all that matters is that I have you back” Alura smiled weakly, still obviously tired. She frowned as she suddenly seemed to notice Alex’s presence; crooking her fingers she beckoned Alex closer

“ _I know you_ ,” she whispered, frowning as she gently traced her fingers over Alex’s face. Her eyes suddenly widened in recognition “Alex,” she said, smiling “Alexandra Danvers,” Alex nodded as Alura’s eyes widened further “Kara” she whispered, there was a quiet shuffling sound and Alex looked back to see Kara standing awkwardly in the doorway

“Hi, Mom” Kara whispered, Alura slowly sat up, wincing as muscles that probably hadn’t been used in over twelve years began to finally move again

“Kara,” she repeated, staring at Kara as if she couldn’t quite believe that the woman in front of her was her own daughter. Kara suddenly rushed forward, throwing her arms around Alura and holding her tight, sobbing into her shoulder, looking like the little girl she had been when she’d last seen her mother on Krypton “ _oh, Kara, my brave daughter,_ ” Alura whispered, stroking her hair, she looked over at Alex “you raised her,” she stated, clearly disbelieving “you helped her, cared for her” Alex nodded

“I did,” she confirmed softly, suddenly overwhelmed by Astra’s memories of Alura, having to remind herself that this _wasn’t_ her sister, Kara was her sister. She glanced at Astra, who was hovering nearby, clearly unsure if she’d be allowed back into the group, Alex nudged her “go over there” she hissed, slowly, Astra awkwardly approached Kara and Alura, Alura looked up and, without a word, offered her hand to her sister, inviting her back in

“ _Thank you, sister_ ” Astra whispered, slowly leaning and wrapping her arms around both Kara and Alura, Alex moved to step back, only for Alura to grab her arm

“You are a part of this family as well, Ms. Danvers,” she said softly “you have been from the moment Kara became your sister” she explained, Alex nodded, at a loss for words. After a long moment, everyone pulled away, Alura sighed as she leaned back on the gurney. She chuckled suddenly, reaching out to stroke Astra’s cheek again

“What?” Astra asked “what’s so funny?”

“You,” Alura answered, still chuckling “only you would fall in love with Kara’s sister” Astra snorted while Kara choked on her own spit

“ _Adoptive_ sister,” Astra pointed out, ignoring Kara’s flabbergasted expression and Alex’s groan “they share no blood”

“Obviously” Alura muttered

“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” Kara yelped “are, are you telling me that, that, that…” she trailed off and fluttered her hands wildly

“I love her, Kara,” Alex explained softly “and she loves me” Kara’s eyes went wide as a saucers as she looked between her sister and her aunt

“So, so, so…”

“Yes, Kara,” Astra chuckled “we love each other”

“But, but, but, you…,” she waved at Alex “you, you…killed her” Astra nodded

“Yes she did, and I can never thank her enough for that”

“Thank her?” Kara echoed, Astra nodded

“Up until that point in time, I was spiraling down deeper into an abyss of insanity,” she explained “death was…a release from that”

“When I found out that she was still alive,” Alex picked up “I realized that I had to bring her back home to you,” she explained “I wasn’t expecting her to return my feelings, or for us to start bonding on an alien planet, or for us to see into each others minds,” at Kara’s confused expression, she elaborated “on Daxam, they put us both under a neural scan, I saw into Astra’s mind, her memories, and she saw into mine”

“Wait, I’m still confused,” Kara began “how does Mother know about this?”

“Because we share a link,” Alura explained “a bond, we were meant to be one person, one mind, your aunt and I. After my pod escaped Krypton, I…dreamed of her, of you, of Alex”

“Only they weren’t dreams,” Kara realized softly “that’s how you know Alex” Alura nodded

“Somehow I saw what Astra was experiencing,” she explained “I saw what she felt for Alex, for you”

“So,” Kara looked between Alex and Astra again “what are you two going to do now?”

“Try to figure out where to go from here” Alex explained, she sudden winced as a sharp pain tore through her

“Alex?” Kara asked as she and Astra caught her as she stumbled, Alex could only gasp as the pain got stronger, ripping through her “what’s happening?!” Kara demanded, in answer Astra merely held Alex close

“I’m sorry,” she whispered “I’m so sorry, darling, I should have told you sooner, I’m sorry”

“What are you talking about?” Alex panted out

“Alex, look at your wrist,” Astra instructed softly, Alex frowned as she held up her wrist, the mark, the seal of custodianship, was gone “the mark is gone because whoever replaced you didn’t know about it” Astra explained

“Replaced me?” Alex echoed, Astra nodded

“Whoever they are, they intercepted the transport beam from the Daxamite ship, that’s why we rematerialized in midair,” she explained “because they took you, abducted you, and replaced you with a bio-synaptic clone”

“A doppelganger,” Alex realized as more of Astra’s knowledge filtered through her mind “an avatar, a body directly linked to my own mind, one that I’ve unconsciously controlling all this time like it was my own” Astra nodded

“Leaving you completely unaware of what was really happening” she finished as Alex gasped in pain again

“Then why does it _hurt?!_ ” she demanded

“I don’t know” Astra admited

“What’s going on here?” J’onn demanded as he and Winn rushed into the room

“Winn!” Alex panted out “I don’t time to explain, but, ah! I need, I need you to start tracking a signal from this room!”

“Alex?” J’onn asked

“Just do it!” Alex bellowed, howling in agony as she clung to Astra and Kara tighter

“Agent Schott!” J’onn snapped, trusting Alex’s judgment

“Yeah, yeah,” Winn pulled out his tablet and started typing “whoa! OK, there is definitely some kind of signal coming from in here”

“Track it to its point of origin!” Astra ordered, she turned back to Alex “breathe!” she ordered

“OK, got it!” Winn announced “uh, it’s coming from somewhere in the financial district”

“Narrow it down!” Alex panted out

“Yeah, yeah, uh…west 42nd street at the corner of Shuster and Siegel, uh it’s a place called…‘Biodynamic Medical’”

“Blood draw!” Alex panted out “my doctor sent me to get a blood draw from there about two weeks ago, that's how they my DNA!”

“Will someone kindly tell us what is going on?!” J’onn demanded

“Alex has been…replaced” Kara explained

“Replaced? Replaced by what?” Winn demanded

“A bio-synaptic clone,” Astra explained “she never came back from the Daxamite ship, because whoever cloned her took her off and left the clone in her place”

“And for the past few hours Alex has been walking around experiencing the world though the clone’s eyes,” J’onn grumbled, he tapped his comm. “Lucy, get a strike team ready at west 42nd Street, corner of Shuster and Siegel, a place called ‘Biodynamic Medical’…because Alex has been replaced by a clone,” he turned to the others as he crouched down next to Alex “strike team’s on the way,” he explained, he frowned at Alex, gently placing a hand over her cheek “we’re coming to get you” he told her, she nodded as she squeezed Astra and Kara’s hands

“I know” she whispered, and then everything went dark…

******

Alex blinked as she suddenly came back to awareness, she was lying down on what felt like a gurney, the sharp sting of antiseptic in the air as a bright light shone down on her from above. She could hear what sounded like a baby crying nearby, somewhere in the room, and something suddenly urged her to try and get up and find the sound, find the baby, protect the baby. Blinking, she looked around, spotting several people in medical scrubs gathered around a small table

“Subject is female, weight…a healthy five pounds, five ounces” a woman’s voice announced

“Any sign of deformities?” another woman asked

“No, Doctor, no sign of any growth or development problems” the first voice replied

“Good” weakly Alex tried to sit up, but she felt so tired, everything hurt. One of the people in scrubs, apparently having heard her, turned around quickly walked back over to her, easily pushing her back down onto the gurney with a hand on her shoulder

“Wh, who are you?” Alex mumbled “where…?” the person pulled down the surgical mask, revealing that is was a woman. She was older than Alex, with cold ice blue eyes, she smiled, a sharp, predatory smile as she eased Alex back down

“Rest now, Agent Danvers,” she said “you’ve had quite an ordeal,” her smile widened, shark-like “Cadmus thanks you for your service”


	2. Search and Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding Alex is not going to be easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update!! Warning, slight spoliers for "Supergirl Lives" in here, its not much, but its there

******

“Wait,” Astra said as she watched the strike team gear up “wait!” she snapped, they stopped, J’onn and Lucy turning to look at her

“Something you’d like say, General?” J’onn asked, she stamped down her irritation, he still didn’t trust her, not that she blamed him, if their positions had beer reversed, she probably wouldn’t trust him either

“There’s no guarantee that she’ll still be there,” she pointed out “her abductors would most likely have moved her since the clone died” she explained, shivering at the memory of how the clone had swiftly crumbled into dust, it had been a flash clone, one grown to maturity in only a few hours, those types didn’t live long to begin with, even less with the added strain of the neural link. It hadn’t been Alex, but still the image of her dissolving into dust was one that would haunt Astra’s dreams for ages to come

“So, what do you suggest?” Lucy asked, and Astra felt herself become momentarily overwhelmed by Alex’s memories of the woman, of how Lucy had become like a ‘big sister’ type to her and Kara

“We go in as patients,” Astra explained, shaking off the memories “it’s a medical research facility, correct? How many medial facilities are suddenly subjected to a raid by federal agents in broad daylight?”

“She’s right,” Lucy sighed “we’d only be tipping our hand that we know about the clone” J’onn sighed

“Stand down,” he ordered the strike team “Mr. Schott, what can you tell us about this place?”

“Uh, well,” Winn began as he came over, giving Astra a wide berth “according to their website, Biodynamic Medical is just a research lab, they do blood tests, MRIs, CAT scans, things like that, the kind og place your doctor would send you to for tests”

“But…?” Astra wondered

“Well, that’s the thing, the website’s a little _too_ generic, you know? It doesn’t tell you what exactly they do, just the basic stuff”

“All right,” J’onn began “Lucy, I want you and Winn going in, pose as patients, but _do not_ agree to any tests”

“Understood” Lucy nodded, J’onn frowned and glanced over at Astra, sighing

“I trust we can count on you not to harm them?” he asked, Astra nodded

“Of course” she said, J’onn nodded, clearly reluctant

“Lane, take General Astra with you” he ordered

“O…K” Winn began, clearly uncomfortable as Astra came over to them 

“Shall we?” she asked

******

“Hey, what’s another word for ‘option’?” Winn asked as he studied his crossword puzzle

“Choice” Astra answered

“Oh, yeah, thanks”

“Is this what you people seriously do for half of your lives?” Astra wondered as she glanced around the waiting room at Biodynamic Medical

“Well, not _half_ our lives,” Lucy pointed out as she flipped through a three-month old copy of CatCo Magazine “but pretty much,” she frowned and set the down the magazine “OK, so I’m confused, Alex told us that you and she had some kind of…mind swap or something?”

“A neural exchange,” Astra corrected “although I suppose ‘mind swap’ is an accurate description. In short, we each saw into the others mind, she into mine and I into hers”

“So, you have access to her memories?” Winn asked, looking up, Astra nodded

“Yes, although I’m still, as you say, ‘sorting’ through them” she explained

“So,” Lucy began “what did Alex and I do on…the fifth of this month?” Astra frowned

“You went out for drinks, became horribly intoxicated, and ended up singing a karaoke version of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, much to your mutual embarrassment the next day” she recited

“You told me you had to work late!” Winn accused

“What? I can’t go out for drinks with a friend?”

“You could’ve at least have just said so instead of lying to me, I wouldn’t have cared, I like Alex, I trust her”

“You’re right,” Lucy sighed “I’m sorry”

“Good,” Winn turned back to his crossword “next time, just tell me if you want to go out for drinks with Alex” anything else anyone was going to say was put on hold as the door opened and a man in a lab coat came out

“Well, hello, hello,” he greeted with a frightening amount of _perkiness_ “so, what can we here at Biodynamic Medical do for you three fine people today?” Astra stood up, smiling pleasantly

“My niece and her boyfriend and I were sent here by our doctor for a blood test” she explained, handing over the fake test order that Winn had made up at the DEO, no sign in her body language or voice that she wasn’t human

“Certainly, certainly, we can do that,” Mr. Lab coat replied as he took the paper from her “have you been here before?” he asked

“No, but a friend of ours was,” Astra replied “perhaps you remember her, an Alex Danvers?”

“Hmm,” lab coat frowned “possibly, possibly”

“Oh, of course you remember her,” Astra encouraged, her smile vanished “you _did_ abduct her after all” she suddenly shot forward with a bust of superpseed, pinning him to the wall

“Echo team, this is Lane, breach now!” there was a distant smash of breaking glass as DEO agents poured into the building “check everywhere, question everyone!” Lucy ordered as Kara landed next her

“Did you find her?” she asked

“Not yet, we’re still looking” Lucy explained

“What is this?” lab coat demanded “who are you people?” Astra grinned

“I think the real question is, who are _you?_ ” she reached out with her free hand, ripping something off his neck.. Instantly his entire form flickered, the smarmy human face vanishing to be replaced by a scaled, reptilian creature

“Whoa! OK, what is that?” Winn demanded

“This, Mr. Schott,” Astra explained “is a Vogon,” she picked up the alien—strangely still dressed in the plaid sweater vest and lab coat—and dropped it onto one of the chairs she and Lucy and Winn had been sitting in “they’re opportunists,” she explained “as long as they can profit from something, they don’t care whether it’s legal or morally right”

“They’re the ones who took Alex the first time” Kara exclaimed, Astra nodded

“Yes, but this is far too sophisticated for them. When they abducted Alex from her apartment they merely burst in through the window and transported her up to the ship”

“So, somebody hired them as mercenaries” Lucy figured

“So, it would seem,” Astra agreed as the Vogon hissed and growled at her “rights?” she laughed “you don’t have any rights, do you know how many treaties you just violated?” she demanded, the Vogaon let out another series of hisses and growls “One? Try _eight,_ ” the Vogon hissed “oh, I see, now you’re claiming that you’re a political refugee, are you?” she scowled “let me be perfectly clearly, madam...”

“Madam?” Winn whispered

“…you have no rights here,” Astra explained “you cannot claim asylum or refugee status, and if you _do not_ tell me who has taken Alexandra Danvers and where she is I will quite happily _break every bone in your body_. _Slowly,_ ” the Vogon stiffened then growled, deep and low in it’s throat “very good,” Astra praised “now, let’s start with the simplest answer, who?” the Vogaon twitched and then finally answered

“ _C-admusss_ ”

“Whoa, OK, did it just say ‘Cadmus’?” Kara demanded, Astra nodded grimly

“I believe she did,” she turned back to the Vogon “where?” she demanded, she griped one of its hands “do not think that I won’t follow through on my threat. Where?”

“Director Lane!” an agent burst in “you need to come see this”

******

The agent led all three of them—four if you counted Astra’s prisoner, who she was carrying like a grocery bag slung over one shoulder—into the back of the building, where the loading dock would be. Inside what was probably a storage area were what looked like a hastily set up medial lab, a gurney with surgical lights sat in the middle of the room, while various pieces of equipment were scattered around the room

“Looks like they left in a hurry” Lucy muttered, Astra gave her prisoner a little shake

“Where?” she demanded, the Vogon hissed and pointed to the far wall, which was covered with a tarp

“Open it” Lucy ordered, the strike team quickly tore the tarp off, revealing what looked like some kind of metal archway

“What the heck is that?” Winn wondered

“A transmat,” Astra answered “a way of moving instantly between worlds”

“Oh my god, it’s Stargate!” Winn exclaimed

“In essence, yes” Astra noted grimly

“And it explains how Cadmus has always been one step ahead of us, they can just move their operations off the planet if we get too close” Lucy noted, Astra shook her prisoner a little harder

“Coordinates!” she demanded, the Vogon hissed and pointed at a small control panel sitting next to the device. Astra dropped the Vogon like a sack of corn “watch her!” she ordered “if she so much as blinks, shoot her,” she added as she marched over and studied the controls “I have the coordinates,” she announced “fourth planet of the Arctues System”

“Great,” Kara said “turn it back on and let’s go get Alex back” Astra shook her head

“It’s not that simple, little one,” she explained “firstly, Arctures is a red sun, so our powers will nonexistent there, secondly the fourth planet in the system is an ice world, temperatures average about five degrees above zero in the summer, and finally, the environment is toxic, the atmosphere is composed of large amounts of methane”

“So what do we do?” Kara demanded

“I don’t know” Astra admitted…


	3. Adrift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can they find Alex in time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triple update!!

******

**Fourth planet in the Arctures system  
Two days later…**

Two days

That was how long Alex had been locked up here, wherever ‘here’ was, held captive by Cadmus, she and her daughter.

Her daughter

A little baby who Cadmus had inseminated her with and grown to full gestation in only a few hours, their forty-second attempt, a hybrid, half human, half Kryptonian, a mix of hers and Astra’s DNA. She didn’t want to know how they got hold of Astra’s DNA, but somehow they had and had used it to try and grow themselves what Alex could only imagine was a living weapon, a being with all the powers of a Kryptonian but presumably none of their weaknesses, a little girl that Cadmus and it’s leader Lillian Luthor—Lex Luthor’s mother of all people—simply called ‘Subject 42’, but who Alex had secretly named ‘Norma’ after her grandmother. She’d never really thought about being a mother, but from the moment she heard little Norma’s first cries, Alex knew she had to protect her.

Right now, little Norma was resting comfortably in her basinet in the stark, white-walled, hospital-style rooms where they had placed mother and daughter. It could be in any maternity ward in any hospital or other medical facility anywhere in the world, the only difference was that there was no window, so she couldn’t tell where she was, and there was an armed guard just inside the door. Alex eyed him as Norma began fussing, carefully, making sure she didn’t make any sudden moves, she made her way to the basinet and scooped up the little tyke

“Hi,” she whispered “hi there” she held the little girl close as the door opened, Lillian Luthor herself walking in

“Well, Ms. Danvers, how are we feeling today?” she asked “not planning anymore escape attempts I hope?” Alex scowled, hiding her smug grin at the sight of the guard behind Lillian still limping as he followed her into the room.. Alex may not have gotten very far yesterday, but she made her anger known

“What do you want?” she demanded, Lillian smiled

“I want to rid the earth of every alien monster who threaten our safety,” she said simply “and that child is going to help me do it”

“You’re not taking her,” Alex growled “why do you even need me anyway?” she wondered “you could have used any other poor woman as your guinea pig”

“Think of what you could teach your daughter about her enemies,” Lillian explained “about Kryptonian biology, their technology, culture, all things she’ll need to know in order to fight them”

“Go to hell” Alex spat out, Lillian shrugged

“I’m sure in time you’ll come to appreciate our efforts,” she warned “good day, Alex” with that she turned on her heel and walked out. Holding Norma close Alex sent out a silent prayer

_’Find me’_ she thought _’please find me, Astra, find us’_

“Alex,” she turned, seeing Alura standing behind her, she glanced around noticing that the guard hadn’t reacted, so he clearly didn’t see Alura “don’t react, just sit back down,” Alura instructed, keeping an eye on Muscles, she slowly sat back down “she’s beautiful,” Alura praised as she leaned in to examine the little girl “have you named her yet?” in answer Alex shifted a still-fussing Norma in her arms

“Hey, Norma, hey, it’s OK” she soothed, Alura smiled

“It’s a lovely name,” she acknowledged as she ‘sat’ down next to Alex “I can’t stay long, the connection between us is weaker than it is between myself and Astra, but I’ve come to tell you that we _will_ find you, we will rescue you,” Alex nodded as gently as she could “how many guards are there around this room?” Alura asked, Alex lightly tapped her fingers on Norma’s tummy four times “four,” Alura nodded “all right, what time do they change shifts?” again Alex tapped her fingers on Norma’s tummy twice “every two hours?” Alex nodded “all right,” she could see Alura starting to fade away “I can’t stay here much longer,” Alura proclaimed “we will find you, that I promise you” she vowed, and then, as Alex watched she faded away…

******

Light-years away, back on Earth in the DEO infirmary, Alura sat upright

“I found her!!”


	4. War Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They know where she is, now how can get Alex back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple update!!

******

Alura sucked in a gulp of air, coughing and gasping for breath

“Breathe, Alura! Breathe!” Astra yelled as she gripped Alura’s shoulders and steadied her

“F-f-found h-er,” Alura slurred out, her body felt sluggish, weak “y-you were right, A-a-Arctures system, f-f-ourth planet, four g-g-guards around her room, shift change every t-two hours”

“All right, all right,” Astra soothed, easing Alura back down onto the gurney “oh, sister,” she sighed as she brushed a lock of hair away from Alura’s face “don’t you ever scare me like that ever again”

“H-h-how…l-long?” Alura stammered out

“Two days,” Astra explained “you were unconscious for two days, I thought I’d lost you again” Alura chuckled weakly

“You won’t be rid of me that easily, Astra” Astra had to smile despite herself

“I suppose not” she said

"Astra?" Alura asked weakly "I know why they took her..."

******

“Are we sure this is accurate?” J’onn wondered as he stared at the sketch that Astra had drawn based on Alura’s description of her ‘dream’—in reality a form of remote viewing caused by a mental bond with Alex due to some part of Astra’s mind being left behind from the Daxamite neural scan—a sketch of Cadmus’ facility on Arctures’ fourth planet, a small, bunker-like instillation half dug into a mountainside

“I trust my sister,” Astra stated firmly “if she said she saw this then this is what she saw”

“This place doesn’t look that big or that well fortified” Lucy noted

“It doesn’t have to be,” Astra reminded her “the planet’s inhabitants are barely above a stone age-level in technology and the only organization that could pose a threat to their endeavors, i.e. the DEO, are light-years away”

“And since they have the transmat, they could just send for more soldiers as easily as walking into the next room,” J’onn noted, he turned to Astra “you mentioned that the planet was inhabited?” she nodded

“They call themselves the ‘Nikl’i’, they’re a mostly peaceful people; they welcome most off-world visitors with either indifference or simply ignore them”

“Explains why Cadmus chose this place,” Lucy muttered “hostile environment, and a native population that not only can’t really hurt you but just plain ignores you”

“So how do we get her back?” Kara demanded “if our powers won’t work and we can’t even breathe the air…?”

“With this,” Astra held up a vital filled with clear liquid and set it down on the table “using Alex’s knowledge of bioengineering, and with Mr. Schott’s help, I developed this” she explained 

“What is it?” Kara wondered

“It’s a chemical compound that should bond with the methane molecules in our bloodstreams and render them inert” Astra explained

“So that’s what you two have been working on for the past two days” Kara exclaimed, Astra nodded while Winn yawned and guzzled more coffee

“It’s the only way we’ll be able to breathe in that kind of environment,” Astra explained “at those temperatures, the filters you use on gas masks would simply freeze solid”

“Any word from our guards at Biodynamic?” J’onn asked, Lucy shook her head

“If Cadmus is aware that we have the transmat they’re not letting on” J’onn nodded

“All right,” he began “assuming Mrs. Zor-El’s description is accurate, we can use the transmat to get to the planet in the first place, then—assuming no one freezes to death—enter from this duct here, and then cross over to this area here, before continuing on to Alex’s cell”

“Wait,” Astra said “I propose we enter from here, the main entrance, a full frontal assault, catching the enemy unprepared”

“’We’, General?” J’onn asked, Astra scowled

“You need my help,” she stated bluntly “I know this planet, I’ve been there twice, I know the terrain, the environment, and even some of the locals” J’onn nodded slowly

“All right,” he agreed “but, remember, I will be in charge of this mission, meaning that if I give you an order, you carry it out, clear?”

“Clear” Astra nodded

“Now, as for your plan, while the frontal assault is a good idea, I think we should get someone inside first, someone who can get Alex and the child out to safety the second we blow those doors”

“Who do you propose?” Astra asked, J’onn smirked at her…


	5. Fire and Ice, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Here's the long-awaited update to The General Danvers Guide to Family Reunions, I hope everyone enjoys this update and keeps an eye out for Chapter Two of Part Ten of What we are! :=)

******

“OK, uh, somebody’s been here” Winn announced as he fiddled with the transmat’s controls back at Biodynamic

“We know that Winn” Kara pointed out

“Uh…no, I mean within the last day or so,” Winn explained “someone’s used this thing”

“That’s to be expected, Mr. Schott,” Astra pointed out as she and Kara each shrugged into heavy cold weather gear, colored white to match the snow of the fourth planet in the system “Cadmus has no doubt sent dozens of people back and forth since we withdrew the guards” Astra added

“Which I still think is a bad idea” Lucy pointed out

“Perhaps,” Astra acknowledged, wincing as a medic pressed a kryptonite-laced needle into her arm, injecting the special methane-neutralizing solution before repeating the process with Kara. With that done, Astra turned to Winn “Mr. Schott?”

“Uh, yeah, I think…,” Winn frowned at the controls “yeah, got it” the archway flickered to life, a swirling purple vortex of light filling it

“All right,” Lucy spoke up “General, Supergirl, remember, stick to the plan. No heroics until _after_ our operative gets in”

“Understood” Kara nodded, Astra nodded as well, frowning at Alura, who stood silently near Lucy

“I’ll come back, sister” Astra told her, Alura nodded

“I know” she said softly, then Astra and Kara both turned back to the transmat and stepped through…

******

Alex sat up as the door to her ‘room’ opened, tensing as Lillian Luthor and General Lane of all people walked in

“Agent Danvers,” Lillian began “you know General Lane, of course”

“We’ve met” Alex growled out, she’d known that Lane didn’t trust aliens, that he was borderline paranoid about them, but she never knew he’d sink this low, that he’d willingly associate with terrorists and psychopathic butchers like Cadmus to ‘protect’ his country

“Well, General.” Lillian smiled shark-like at Lane “I trust you and Agent Danvers will play nice while I’m gone?” Lane scowled at her as she turned on her heel and marched out, leaving Alex and Lane alone in the room, save for the guard at the door and little Norma

“Agent,” Lane acknowledged “I trust you’ve been treated well?” he asked

“Fine,” Alex scoffed sarcastically “if you call being used as a human guinea pig and being held prisoner ‘well’, then, yeah, I’m perfectly peachy”

“I am sorry about that,” Lane said and he sounded sincere, “but, rest assured, this ordeal will all be over soon”

“I bet” Alex muttered, turning to glance worriedly at Norma in her bassinet, feeling firry protectiveness welling up inside of her, silently vowing to protect her daughter no matter what. Even if that meant killing Lucy’s father

She frowned as Lane began to walk towards the bassinet “you stay away from her, Lane” she growled out, Lane stopped

“Surely you’ll allow me to simply _look_ at the child, Agent?” he wondered, Alex scowled, glancing over at the guard still standing by the door, she _could_ stop Lane if she wanted to, but that would probably mean getting shot and/or pummeled by Muscles over there, and if that happened then no one would be around to protect Norma. Still scowling, she finally nodded and stepped back about half a foot and allowed Lane to lean in and examine Norma “she’s a lovely child” he commented

“She is” Alex muttered, at least that they could agree on

“May I hold her?” Lane asked, again Alex glanced at Muscles and again got that same feeling of dread in her stomach

“Fine” she allowed, she reached into the bassinet and gently scooped Norma up, shushing her as she fussed, obviously upset at having her nap disturbed. Turning, Alex very gently and very reluctantly held her out to General Lane, wondering if he’d just simply walk out with her. As Lane took gentle hold of Norma she began to fuss, as babies do, and Lane gently shushed her

“Easy,” he said quietly “easy, there we are,” he smiled as Norma quieted down, gently rocking her “when I wake up,” he softly sang “well, I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you, when I go out, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you”

Alex felt her world suddenly tilt on its axis as memories of walking through a forest on Daxam singing that very same song with Astra flew by her minds eye. Slowly, Lane looked up at her

And _winked_

He was on her side, she didn’t know how, or why, but he was on her side. Why else would he chose _that_ particular song to sooth Norma? Unless someone told him, someone who was trying to get a message across to her, someone like...

“So,” she began “tell me, how’s Lucy, General?” Lane smiled

“My daughter is doing just fine, Agent,” he replied “in fact," he added, smiling "I just talked to her this morning...”

******

Kara wasn’t sure _what_ , exactly, using a transmat would feel like. She’d expected to feel something, a tingling sensation maybe, but instead it felt very much like stepping through a doorway, the only way she could tell she wasn’t on Earth anymore was the freezing cold wind and snow. She groaned and scowled, wrinkling her nose (as much as she _could_ wrinkle her nose under the heavy balaclava and snow goggles covering her face) in disgust

“How are you feeling?” Astra called out over the howling wind

“I’m good” Kara called back

“No problems breathing?” Astra asked

“No,” Kara took a sniff of the air, surprised when she didn’t smell anything _off_ with the air, it smelled like…air “I thought you said that the air was full of methane here” she said

“I did,” Astra confirmed “methane is an odorless gas, Kara,” she reminded her niece “trust me, without the serum we wouldn’t be having this conversation”

“Right,” Kara muttered, glancing around, they’d arrived in the middle of a snowstorm (at least she _hoped_ that it was a snowstorm and not what the weather was normally like for this planet) and in what, she assumed, passed for nighttime, at least if the three moons in the sky were any indication “so, how far is this place?” she wondered as they started slogging their way through knee-high snow drifts

“Not too far,” Astra answered, she pointed “assuming your mother’s information is correct it should be just over that next rise there”

“Let’s hope so” Kara muttered…


	6. Fire and Ice, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue doesn't go quite according to plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's the long-awaited (at least I hope its the long awaited) update to The General Danvers Guide to Family Reunions, enjoy

******

Alex watched as General Lane checked his watch for the fourth time

“Everything all right?” she asked

“Oh, fine, agent,” he replied “it’s just I have an important meeting and I was wondering if I’ll be late or not” he explained smoothly, Alex nodded, right, a ‘meeting’, hopefully this meeting was code for ‘getting her the hell out of here’

“How late are you?” she asked carefully, ever aware of Muscles the Guard

“Hmm? Oh not that late,” Lane replied “only a few minutes” Alex nodded, a few minutes wasn’t too bad, but still…

Where the hell was the rescue party?

******

“Keep running!!” Astra yelled

“What is that thing?!” Kara demanded

“Less talking more running, Kara!” the two Kryptonians ran harder, slogging their way through the snow as a large….spider polar bear chased after them. Kara glanced over her shoulder, gasping with relief as the creature suddenly broke off the chase

“It’s gone!” she called out

“Yes,” Astra panted “and that’s what worry’s me” she added as the ice suddenly trembled beneath their feet, cracking and splitting as _something_ moved beneath it, something _large_ at that

“ _Please_ tell me that’s an earthquake or something” Kara moaned

“I don’t think so” Astra answered as a large, sea serpent-like creature suddenly burst out of the ice with a roar, towering over the two

“OH COME ON!!!” they both exclaimed. Taking off at a sprint, they both charged in the opposite direction as the creature gave chase, easily slithering after them with ease

“Cave!!” Astra hollered “head for the cave!!” they both turned, slipping and sliding across the ice as they ran into a large cave in the cliff face. There was a sharp whistle, and what looked like a flaming arrow suddenly arced over their heads to hit the creature right in the eye. With a roar, it reared back and then dove back down through the ice with ease

“Who…?” Kara wondered, she jumped back as several more arrows, none of them flaming thankfully, landed at their feet

“Easy! Easy!” Astra gripped her arm “steady” she urged as three towering figures emerged from the cave. They weren’t all that big, about the same height as either Kara or Astra, and looked like cocker spaniels, with thick white fur and long droopy ears on either side of their heads, if it weren’t for the large arrows pointed at them Kara would’ve had an ‘aw!’ moment, because they were kind of cute.

The one in the middle, clearly the leader, nodded to Astra and Kara

[Take them] it ordered

******

“Hey! No pushing!” Kara yelped as she and Astra were led deeper into the cave. The walls of the cave were covered with what looked like some kind of glowing moss or lichen, which bathed the whole chamber blue. Slowly, the tunnel opened up into a large cavern where several more of the creatures were gathered around a roaring bonfire “hey! OK!” Kara grunted as she and Astra were shoved to the ground.

One of the creature’s came up to one of the guards and spoke to him (her?) before finally approaching the two women, reaching out with one hand and pulling their hoods. It’s eyes widened in surprise as Astra’s hood fell back

“Astra!” it laughed joyfully

“C’a’va?” Astra asked, she leaned forward and laughed, reaching out and pulling the alien into hug [oh, look at you! The last time I saw you, you barely came to my knee!] she turned to Kara “Kara this is C’a’va, she’s the leader of this tribe,” she explained [C’a’va, this is my niece, Kara] she introduced, the alien held out a furry hand to Kara

[Wonderful to meet you] she said in accented Kryptonese

[Nice to meet you] Kara replied as C’a’va turned to the others, holding her hands up to get everyone’s attention

[My people, we have friends!] she announced, the atmosphere of the cavern changed almost-instantly, the aliens burst into cheers and soon Kara and Astra found themselves being pulled along for a feast

“So, you know these people?” Kara asked a few minutes later as she nibbled some kind of jerky-like meat

“They’re the ‘Nikl’i’,” Astra explained “good people, quite friendly as you saw”

[So,[ C’a’va sat down next to them [what brings General Astra back to Thur?] she asked in Kryptonese

[We’re trying to reach here,] Astra pulled out the sketch that she’d drawn of Alura’s vision of Cadmus’ base [the people who live here are holding a close friend of mine captive] she explained, C’a’va scowled

[They hold many of us captive as well,] she replied [evil beings, these ones. Sometimes we find one of our kind who they have released into the snows,] she shuddered [come] she stood up and grabbing a torch lead the two Kryptonians deeper into the cave into a small chamber off to the side [when these people first came we welcomed them as we welcomed the Children of Krypton,] she began [this is how they repaid our kindness] she held the torch out, lighting the chamber

“Oh god” Kara moaned. There were as least a dozen more Nikl’i in the chamber, and all of them looked as if they had been experimented on. One was missing an arm, another was missing all of its fur, allowing the scars and sutures to be seen, and even worse horrors lay deeper in the chamber

[They have done unspeakable things to my kind for no reason,] C’a’va explained [if you help us to free our own and stop this…this… _evil_ , we shall help you to free your friend]

Kara and Astra looked at each other, both thinking the same thing, the answer was really a no brainer

[Done] they both agreed


	7. Into the Jaws of Death, Into the Mouth of Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Yes "The General Danvers Guide to Family Reunions" is finally being updated _AND_ we're nearly at the end too. I could offer you dozens of reasons why I haven't been near this fic but all I can tell you is that I just lost interest, I'm not sure why, but I did. But, I back now, so enjoy! :=)

******

Alex grunted as she and General Lane were both half-led, half pushed down a corridor. Some kind of battle had taken place about fifteen minutes earlier; at least she thought that’s what had happened, if the mutterings and idle chitchat from the guards were any indication. Apparently the natives had staged an attack and had been swiftly repelled, but Cadmus’ guards had apparently captured two of the leaders.

Stumbling from another shove from the guard, Alex found herself standing next to General Lane on a catwalk overlooking a large loading bay of some kind. Hundreds of soldiers and vehicles were all gathered around a stage of sorts.

Lillian Luthor herself stood atop said stage standing in front of two hooded, kneeling figures

“Today,” Lillian began “we strike our first real blow against the aliens,” she proclaimed “today, all our sacrifice, our hard work, will finally pay off. Today is the day when we show the invaders that we will no longer stand by quietly while they take our planet from us!”

The assembled crowd _roared_ their approval

“It’s a goddamn _cult_ ” General Lane growled out in clear disgust

“Today,” Lillian continued “we will face our enemy on equal footing and prove, once and for all, that we are superior,” she turned to the two hooded figures and yanked both hoods back “Supergirl and General Astra In-Ze” Lillian chuckled as both Kara and Astra squinted and blinked in the bright light.

Astra was the first to look up at Lillian

“Nice speech,” she commented “tad clichéd, though,” she glanced at Kara “don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Kara nodded “very clichéd. Too bad, really, your army seems to like it”

Lillian smirked

“There’s no yellow sunlight here,” she pointed out “I wouldn’t be so flippant if I were you” she warned

“Oh, but we’re _not_ you,” Astra remarked “in fact,” she smirked “we’re not even here”

Lillian jerked back as they both suddenly dissolved into two piles of grey dust

“Clones,” Alex realized with a giddy laugh “bio-synaptic clones” she whispered as the lights suddenly went out with a deep _thump_

“Get those lights back up now!” someone ordered

“We’re not ‘invaders’.” Astra’s voice suddenly called out from the darkness, her voice echoing in the cavernous space

“Astra!” Lillian snarled

“We’re not ‘monsters’.” Kara’s voice added

“Astra!” Lillian repeated

“No,” Astra began with a dark chuckle “we’re _shadows_ ,” she laughed into the darkness, deep and low and just a little bit insane “can you see us?” she taunted

“It’s them!” one soldier suddenly yelled “they’re here!”

A gunshot pierced the air followed quickly by another

“Hold your fire! Hold your fire!” Lillian ordered “STOP!!”

The lights suddenly came back on, revealing two Cadmus soldiers now lying dead on the floor, each having clearly shot the other in the darkened confusion

“No one move!” Lillian ordered “they’re trying to make fools of us”

“Tell me, Mrs. Luthor,” Astra’s voice suddenly called out “do you smell something sweet?”

As Alex watched the air behind Lillian suddenly rippled, two figures clad DEO-issue body armor suddenly appearing behind her. The air suddenly rippled again and again, more DEO agents appearing out of thin air, catching Cadmus’ troops off-guard, as they appeared at various points around the room, one entire row appeared on the catwalk opposite where Alex and General Lane were standing.

There were about a dozen or so Cadmus agents. There were about three dozen more DEO agents.

“ _ **Hold it right there**_ ” J’onn growled as he appeared behind Lillian in his true form, a hand on her shoulder

“I have an entire army out there,” she boasted “anything goes wrong in here and they’ll know”

“Not unless they have their own problems to worry about” Astra called from another section of catwalk as she stepped into the light, looking like some kind of avenging angel

“ _Greyhound leader to Trap One,_ ” Lucy’s voice suddenly called out from a radio at Astra’s hip “ _we’re ready_ ”

“Copy that, Greyhound leader,” Astra replied “breach the doors _now_ ” she ordered

There was a distant explosion that shook the whole complex, gunfire quickly erupting after as the entire complex broke out into a fierce battle.

Alex pivoted and rammed her elbow into the neck of the guard watching her and General Lane

“We need to find Norma” she panted out as she ‘relieved’ the guard of his sidearm

“Agreed,” Lane nodded “they can handle it from here,” he gestured down the corridor “lead on, Agent” he instructed…

******

_Their’s not to make reply,_  
_Their’s not to reason why,_  
_Their’s but to do and die,_  
_Into the valley of Death_  
_Rode the six hundred_

Alex sprinted down the corridor with General Lane close behind, she either hit or shot anyone she saw not wearing DEO black, not particularly caring about the loss of life at the moment. No, all that mattered was finding her daughter and getting back to her family. These people had abducted her, experimented on her, and had tried to use her daughter as a living weapon.

No, they didn’t deserve her compassion or her pity. Only her rage.

******

_Cannon to the right of them,_  
_Cannon to the left of them,_  
_Cannon in front of them,_  
_Volley’d and thunder’d_  
_Storm’d at with shot and shell_  
_Boldly they rode and well_  
_Into the jaws of Death,_  
_Into the mouth of Hell_  
_Rode the six hundred_

Meanwhile the battle was swiftly dissolving into fierce hand-to-hand combat between both sides, as Cadmus’ forces made the DEO fight tooth and nail for every inch of ground. For every inch the DEO gained they would lose twenty agents, for every foot, forty agents.

But they fought on, to reclaim one of their own, to finally put an end to Cadmus’ atrocities

******

In a control room, watching over the battle, Winn and Lucy frantically tried to give the agents on the ground an upper hand

“There! There!” Lucy pointed at the screen “close off that corridor”

“Got it,” Winn frantically typed “yes!” he cheered as the corridor was sealed off, boxing in a dozen of Cadmus’ troops and clearing the way for the DEO into the next sector

A loud bang on the door made them turn

“Get this door open!” a voice on the other side ordered

“Uh-oh” they both muttered…

 ******

_Flash’d all their sabers bare_  
_Flash’d as they turn’d in air_  
_Sabring the gunners there_  
_Charging an army, while_  
_All the world wonder’d_  
_Plunged thro’ the battery-smoke_  
_Right thro’ the line they broke_  
_Cossack and Russian_  
_Rear’d from the saber-stroke_  
_Shatter’d and sunder’d_  
_Then they rode back, but not_  
_Not the six hundred_

__

Alex sprinted down the corridor, she’d been separated from General Lane a few minutes ago, and so she was on her own for now. Rounding a corner, she brought the gun up to bear as a Cadmus solider turned, only to fall seconds later from a gunshot to the back.

__

Gasping, Alex watched as he fell, letting out a gasp of relief as she saw just _who_ had shot him

__

“Astra”

__

Astra smirked as she approached the younger woman

__

“You were expecting maybe Humphrey Bogart?” she quipped

__

Laughing, Alex threw her arms around the Kryptonian’s neck, holding her close

__

“I’d thought I’d never see you again” she whispered as she breathed in that deep, rich earthy scent she’d first noticed back on Daxam, that scent that was utterly, uniquely ‘Astra’

__

“You should know better,” Astra chuckled “not even death can stop me”

__

“Norma!” Alex suddenly gasped as she pulled away “they took Norma! Astra, we—“

__

“Shh, shh, I know,” Astra soothed “Kara’s looking for her right now, as are Winn and Lucy. We’ll find her,” an explosion suddenly pierced the air “that was too close,” Astra declared “come on” she grabbed Alex’s hand, their fingers automatically, naturally, intertwining as they charged down the corridor, only to skid to a stop as a group of Cadmus soldiers blocked their path, guns at the ready…

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger, I know, I'm mean. But don't worry, I won't make you all wait nearly a year for the next update :=)


End file.
